Pantelis Michalopoulos

Practice Areas

Internet, Telecom & Media | Government & Regulatory Litigation | Government Affairs & Public Policy | Antitrust/Competition | AI, Data & Digital

Career

Pantelis Michalopoulos helps clients navigate (or litigate) in frequently uncharted areas of telecommunications and technology law. Praised by clients in Chambers USA for "his ability to come up with innovative...business solutions to complicated legal issues," Pantelis practices across the entire span of telecommunications, media, and internet law and regulation, including licensing, rulemaking, and complaint proceedings before the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) as well as other agencies such as the Copyright Office. Pantelis also has extensive antitrust and court litigation experience.

Representing the consumers and the American Libraries Association, he argued in the Court of Appeals for the DC Circuit against the FCC's "broadcast flag" requirement, which would have prevented the Internet redistribution of High Definition television content. The court struck this rule down in 2005. On behalf of EchoStar, he successfully challenged the FCC's "plug-and-play" rules in the same court. Representing the Internet industry, he presented oral argument in two net neutrality cases, which resulted in two landmark DC Circuit decisions, one upholding the agency’s jurisdiction to protect the Internet, and the other ultimately affirming the FCC's 2015 net neutrality order in its entirety. He counseled wireless carriers, satellite carriers and private equity funds in a number of high profile acquisitions. He also regularly represents telecommunications clients in matters of preemption of state regulation.

In the antitrust area, Pantelis often assists clients in advocating for or against clearance of proposed mergers by the antitrust agencies, and has contributed breakthroughs to the analysis of the economic effects of certain mergers on the Internet industry. He has obtained a significant temporary restraining order against a large programmer in an antitrust tying case in the Northern District of California.

Pantelis has litigated a wide range of questions that frequently resonate within regulated industries, such as constitutional commerce clause and federal preemption questions, in a number of federal and state courts across the country, including Missouri, Colorado, and Ohio.

Pantelis, who serves as the co-head of the firm's Regulatory and Legislative Department and leader of the Regulated Industries "Supergroup," is ranked among the leading telecommunications lawyers by Chambers USA and The Legal 500 US. He has written a number of articles about regulated industries, and has authored the legal thriller "The War of Art" under the pseudonym Philip Blackpeat.